Kentucky Hunting Seasons & Hunting Regulations, Bag Limits and More
As of 2023, there is an estimated one million white-tailed deer in the state of Kentucky. Kentucky deer hunting is one of a kind and there’s plenty of deer for everyone. The majority of the deer population and best hunting in Kentucky is located in the western half of the state and along the Ohio River. Some of the best counties to hunt deer in Kentucky are Breckinridge, Christian, Ohio, Logan, Hopkins and Todd.
There are many hunting opportunities available to hunters of all ages in Kentucky. Below, you can see a list of all the Kentucky hunting season dates, bag limits and regulations.
Kentucky Deer Season 2023-2024
The 2023-2024 modern gun deer hunting season in Kentucky opens on November 11, 2023 and closes on November 26, 2023. Archery season opens September 2, 2023 and runs through January 15, 2024.
Here are the full season dates for Kentucky hunting:
2023-2024 Archery Deer Hunting: September 2, 2023 – January 15, 2024
2023-2024 Crossbow Deer Hunting: September 16, 2023 – January 15, 2024
2023-2024 Modern Firearms Deer Hunting: November 11, 2023 – November 26, 2023
2023-2024 Muzzleloader Deer Hunting: October 21, 2023 – October 22, 2023 & December 9, 2023 to December 17, 2023
2023-2024 Youth Free Season Deer Hunting: December 30, 2023 to December 31, 2023
2023-2024 Youth Only Deer Hunting: October 14, 2023 – October 15, 2023
| Type | Hunting Dates |
|---|---|
| Archery | September 2, 2023 to January 15, 2024 |
| Crossbow | September 16, 2023 to January 15, 2024 |
| Modern Gun | November 11, 2023 to November 26, 2023 |
| Muzzleloader | October 21, 2023 to October 22, 2023 & December 9, 2023 to December 17, 2023 |
| Youth Free | December 30, 2023 to December 31, 2023 |
| Youth Only | October 14, 2023 – October 15, 2023 |
Kentucky deer hunting bag limits for 2023-2024
Hunters are limited to one deer with visible antlers (excluding button bucks) during each license year, regardless of zone.
Here are the restrictions per zone:
| Zone | Restrictions |
|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Unlimited antlerless deer with permits |
| Zone 2 | No more than 4 deer May be taken with any weapon |
| Zone 3 | No more than 4 deer No more than one antlerless deer with a firearm All 4 deer can be archery or crossbow |
| Zone 4 | No more than 2 deer No more than 1 antlerless deer |
Turkey Hunting Season Dates 2023-2024
The Fall turkey hunting seasons in Kentucky are below:
| Shotgun | Archery | Crossbow |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 28 2023 – Nov 3 2023 and Dec 2 2023 – Dec 8 2023 | Sep 2 2023 – Jan 15 2024 | Oct 1 2023 – Oct 22 2023 & Nov 11 2023 – Dec 31 2023 |
Turkey hunting bag limits in Kentucky:
Four (4) birds total, either sex:
No more than two (2) of which may be taken with a shotgun.
No more than one (1) bird may have a beard length of three (3) inches or longer.
No more than one (1) bird may be taken per day.
Waterfowl and duck season in Kentucky 2023-2024
Duck season in Kentucky opens November 23, 2023 – November 26, 2023 and December 7, 2023 – January 31, 2024.
Where can you hunt elk in Kentucky?
There are 16 counties in Kentucky to hunt elk, known as the elk zone, including: Bell, Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, McCreary, Perry, Pike and Whitley.
Kentucky has over 10,00 elk in the eastern part of the state, more than any eastern state.
Here is a table showing the elk hunting dates in Kentucky:
| Archery | Firearm |
|---|---|
| Sep 9 2023 – Sep 22 2023 | Sep 30 2023 – Oct 4 2023 |
| Dec 2 2023 – Dec 8 2023 | Oct 7 2023 – Oct 11 2023 |
| Nov 25 2023 – Nov 29 2023 | |
| Dec 20 2023 – Jan 3 2024 |
Other animal hunting seasons in Kentucky:
| Animal | Dates |
|---|---|
| Coyote | Year round, day or night, no limit |
| Bobcat | Nov 18 2023 – Feb 29 2024 Bag limit is 5 |
| Beaver | Nov 13 2023 – Feb 29 2024 |
| Bullfrog | May 19 2023 – Oct 31 2023 Bag limit 15 |
| Catfish Noodling | Jun 1 2023 – Aug 31 2023 |
| Dove | Sep 1 2023 – Oct 26 2023 Nov 23 2023 – Dec 3 2023 Dec 23 2023 – Jan 14 2024 |
| Red Fox | Nov 13 2023 – Feb 29 2024 |
| Canada Geese | Sep 16 2023 – Sep 30 2023 Nov 23 2023 – Feb 15 2024 |
| Groundhog | Year round |
| Muskrat | Nov 13 2023 – Feb 29 2024 |
| Opossum | Oct 1 2023 – Feb 29 2024 |
| Squirrel | May 20 2023 – Jun 16 2023 Aug 19 2023 – Nov 10 2023 Nov 13 2023 – Feb 29 2024 |
| Sandhill Crane | Dec 7 2023 – Jan 31 2024 |
How to check in your harvest?
There are many ways to check in your harvest in Kentucky, including:
Call 800-245-4263 (800-CHK-GAME) over the phone. Have your SSN and County ID ready.
The easiest and quickest method is the online My Profile – https://app.fw.ky.gov/myprofile/
Is it legal to shoot wild pigs in Kentucky?
Yes, you can shoot wild hogs in Kentucky, but the Department of Fish and Wildlife highly encourage hunters to not do so and contact them ASAP.
If you see any wild pig population or activity, call 800-858-1549.
There are no bag limits for wild hogs in Kentucky.
When is the rut in Kentucky?
The deer breeding and reproduction season, also known as the rut, typically happens around the end of October and the first couple weeks or November. The male bucks are looking for female deer to mate.
What is the largest deer killed in Kentucky?
The largest deer taken in Kentucky, known as the Smith buck, was taken in 2000 by Robert Smith and scored a 204 2/8 inches, located in Pendleton County.
Kentucky is also #6 on the Boone and Crockett list of states with the largest deer killed.
How much is a hunting license in Kentucky?
There are many different types of hunting and fishing license combinations to choose from. The standard resident yearly hunting and fishing combo license for residents is $42. The sportsman’s license is the hunting/fishing license combo but also includes deer permit, turkey permit, trout permit and waterfowl permits for $95.
For out of state residents who want to deer hunt, the statewide deer permit fee is $185.
The full list of license prices is here:
For all other hunting information in Kentucky visit the official Fish & Wildlife website – https://fw.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx
